


Countdown To Zero

by mantisbelle



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Anal Sex, Countdown to death, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Multi, Past Lolix Implied, Suicidal Thoughts, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Sex, unprotected sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 19:11:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17431871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mantisbelle/pseuds/mantisbelle
Summary: Once, back when he was young and more foolish, Locus would have thought that it was a luxury to know when he was going to die. It would have made everything that he did in the moments leading up to that day so much easier— in a sense. He could have planned around what was going to happen, he could have taken the time to put his affairs in order, he could have made sense of the actions that had led him to that place.As it turned out, the luxury was not as he would have thought.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ConfessionForAnotherTime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfessionForAnotherTime/gifts).



Once, back when he was young and more foolish, Locus would have thought that it was a luxury to know when he was going to die. It would have made everything that he did in the moments leading up to that day so much easier— in a sense. He could have planned around what was going to happen, he could have taken the time to put his affairs in order, he could have made sense of the actions that had led him to that place.

It would have been anything but random. The chaotic element of his own demise would have been removed, and Locus would have been happier for it.

Once, it was something he would have looked fondly on. It was something that he could have used.

As it turned out, the luxury was not as he would have thought.

The reality was that it was a curse.

How he came to the information which he'd needed was a mystery in itself in a way. Dabbling with alien technologies which were still thought to border upon divinity meant that there was always an element to their workings that he didn’t understand— things that he could never even hope to understand. Not understanding was what gave him twenty four hours left to live. Twenty four hours to get his affairs in order for what was going to come.

Twenty four hours for him to drag himself to the only people he had left in the universe that made any sense to him whatsoever, even when the one thing about them that made sense was the chaos that they brought.

Because of a mistranslation of alien texts and a subsequent misinterpretation of catastrophic magnitudes, Locus landed on Iris with only twenty two hours left to live.

The time constraints left him with a sort of undeniable tunnel vision.

He brushed past the Reds as they greeted him. They weren’t the ones that he wanted— needed to talk to. They weren’t the ones he needed to see, as much as he considered them friends. They considered him a friend. He preferred to spare them the pain that his presence would bring all too soon.

The people that he wanted to see were instead tucked away at a training course in the back of Blue Base, apparently wrapped up in a private competition to see who could complete a ropes course the fastest while only walking on their hands.

Locus leaned against the side of the base and watched, too aware of the amount of precious time that was ticking down where he was doing nothing.

Washington noticed him first.

He grinned as he pushed himself upright. “Hey, big guy.” He said as he began on his way back across the course to meet with Locus. “Been a while since we’ve seen you.”

“Yes.” Locus swallowed, realizing that he sounded more stilted than usual. He always sounded stilted, Donut had teased him once. Somehow it felt worse than normal. “I… needed to see you.”

Wash’s brow furrowed, his nose wrinkling slightly with the motion. “Is something going on?”

He should tell them. He knew he should tell them, and yet Locus couldn’t find the words for it. How could he tell the two of them that he would be dead within the next 21 hours and 53 minutes? How could he express that he'd come to them because he knew that he wouldn’t have any time left, and he wanted to be with them because at least that way he wouldn’t be alone? How could he ever expect them to believe what would surely sound like madness?

“No.” He sighed, after too long of debating the topic in his own head. The lie sat bitter on his tongue. “I just needed a chance to…” Carolina began to stalk toward the two of them, apparently satisfied with her performance on the ropes course. “Rest.” Locus finally managed to finish.

“So you came here?” Carolina prodded as she stepped in at Wash’s side and made herself comfortable there. “You know that hanging out with the Reds and Blues isn’t exactly quiet.”

“I needed to be on solid land for a bit.” I couldn’t be alone. “And I knew it was safe here.” I knew that someone would be here.

“Right.” Wash clicked his tongue. “I think we're doing lunch in an hour. Do you want to rest until then, or—”

Locus’ mind rushed back to the memory of the reason that had brought him there in the first place. Resting would be a waste of precious time. He needed to live what life he had left. Not sleep it away.

Instead, he looked between the two Freelancers. “I’d like to rest.” Locus said, his volume dipping in the process. “If you’d join me.”

Carolina smiled up at him and reached down for his wrist, while Wash was already beginning to jog ahead of the two of them back to A’rynasea, just like happened every other time that Locus landed on Iris to see the two of them.

Locus pulled Carolina to a stop. “Your base.” He murmured to her. “Not my ship.”

Carolina eyed him, and then the ship. “Something wrong there?”

“No.” Locus said. “I’d just prefer land.”

“Got it.” Wash grabbed Locus by the wrist and tugged him along behind him, which meant that Carolina got tugged along as well until they were inside of the base and stumbling into the Freelancer’s shared room. Locus was immediately pressed against the wall as soon as the door was shut, biting kisses being peppered along his neck courtesy of Washington.

I need to tell them, his conscience told him, only to be drowned out by the tug on his gauntlet which told him very clearly that he needed to undress. It was a familiar dance for them.

Locus pulled back away from Washington. He began to strip out of his armor, while Carolina and Washington were able to drop into place on the bed and wait for him, both dressed in simple exercise clothes which Locus knew Donut had bought them for their last holiday party. Locus had been invited but had decided to mostly decline the invitation.

He still watched the whole thing from active camo anyways, just hovering in the corner of the Reds and Blues’ vision.

As soon as he was out of his armor, he grabbed for one of the pieces of armor that contained a small storage compartment. Inside, he had a datapad which he quickly set a timer on, ticking away those remaining minutes of his life. It could make it easier for him to track it.

When he was given the option to label the timer, Locus ignored it. It was better not to make the reminder too obvious.

Carolina watched him. “What’s that for?”

“I…” Locus started, gripping the datapad a little too tightly. “I may have to leave early.”

Carolina didn’t seem convinced. “What's going on? If you’re being tracked—” Her voice took a quick detour toward harshness.

“I’m not being tracked.” Locus sighed. “But there is a timeline that I need to be able to follow along. It’ll be better for… for all of us if I do.” He stared down at the datapad, as the seconds of his life ticked away from him before his very eyes. “You have to trust me.”

Washington was next to speak. “You would tell us if something was wrong—” He asked. “Right?”

I can’t. “Yes.”

“Well, if it’s nothing to worry about, there's nothing to worry about.” Washington slid back in the bed as Locus set his datapad down on the cobbled together dresser. “Come on.”

“Wait—” Carolina looked at Locus, directly. “Locus.” She said his name, slowly, asking a question. It’s a question that had been asked many times before, and Locus knew the right answer. It was one of the main reasons that he had always come back to Iris.

Comfort. Belonging. Warmth.

He looked back down at her and swallowed.

“Sam.” He replied. Practiced. Trained. It was enough to make his stomach flip.

And just like that, Carolina’s expression split into a smile. A familiar sort of smile.

“Good.” She said. “Come here, Sam.”

Locus began to walk forward, until he was just at the end of the bed, waiting. Wasting time. Possibly worth it. It was a distraction, if nothing else.

Carolina eyed him, appraising. “You aren’t hurt.”

“No.” Locus said. “I am not hurt.”

“Good.” She mumbled. Carolina turned her head to look at Wash. “And you?”

“Not hurt.” Wash said, grinning comfortably. Blissfully ignorant. “Ready.”

“Good.”

Carolina raised a hand to beckon Locus forward. He followed it silently, and climbed in at the end of the bed before he slid himself up onto the mattress alongside the two freelancers. Carolina bowed down to press a slow kiss to his lips, which Wash rushed in to follow up on once there was an opening.

She climbed out of the bed, leaving Wash and Locus to fill the space that she'd left behind. “Keep each other busy for me.” She ordered, easily. “But no touching. And I’ll know if you do.”

Wash groaned, but he pushed himself up into Locus’ space anyways. “Hey.” He whispered, as Locus wrapped his arms around Wash to pull him in close, so close that he almost felt like the two of them could have become one. His reward was a gentle tug on his hair which was enough to pull it down out of the tie that it was in. Locus eased himself against Washington and fell into his touches, taking his own time to press little kisses along Washington’s neck.

Washington was just the right kind of warm and comforting that Locus needed. Not quite home, but close enough to suffice and make things a little easier until the time finally came that Locus’ life clock hit zero.

A click of Carolina’s tongue broke Locus out of his reverie. He pulled back away from Washington to look up at her, while Washington did just the same. He sat up and relaxed back onto his heels.

At the end of the bed where Locus had just stood was Carolina, completely bare and smiling down at the two of them like she knew something that neither Locus nor Washington did, and was happy about that fact.

Locus eased himself back and made himself just a bit more comfortable and watched as she stared down at the two of them. As long as Carolina stared, he didn’t move a muscle. She looked over at Wash and then to Locus. “Colors?” Carolina prompted, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Green.” Locus and Wash replied in unison. Locus felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Carolina smiled and she reached out, gesturing toward Wash and he moved forward without any other prompting to settle near her at the end of the bed. Carolina smiled down at Wash, taking a second to catch Locus’ eyes for a second before she leaned in to whisper something into Wash’s ear.

Washington’s response was a groan, but he leaned in to catch a kiss from Carolina before he went off on his own to get something from the closet. Locus watched him go for a second, since he’d surely just missed something but he had absolutely no idea what.

Carolina seemed to ignore Wash after he left, though. She climbed into bed alongside Locus, only she placed her right hand on his shoulder, just above the scar that Washington had left during their fight at The Purge, and pressed Locus back into the mattress to be met with absolutely no resistance on Locus’ part.

“Hello, Sam.” Carolina greeted him. “You know that you’ve broken one of my rules, don’t you?”

“Yes.” He replied, mouth dry and his attention only able to last on her even as Washington fumbled in the closet in search of something. “I apologize.”

“Not good enough.” Carolina’s hand slipped up his neck, into his hair where she caught a good grip on his locks. “Showing up without invitation is serious. You could have caused us some serious trouble, Sam.”

It wouldn’t have mattered.

“I know.” He replied to her. This was a dance that the two of them have done several times before. The truth was that he didn’t call ahead when he was going to arrive on Iris all that much anymore to begin with, mostly because he knew that the vast majority of the time, there was nothing for him to fear there. Still the rule stood, just because of the gravity of what would happen if he arrived at the wrong time. Not that Locus would ever allow it. “I apologize.”

Carolina raised an eyebrow. “You know that isn’t good enough.” A slight tug on his hair. “You know that your actions speak louder than words.”

“What would you have me do?”

Carolina leaned back slightly, considering. Her attention drew away from him, onto Washington instead as he returned to the bedside with a shoebox in his arms. He set it down on the dresser and then arranged himself beside it with his hands behind his back and his head lowered.

“Wash—” Carolina called to him. “Here.”

Wash grinned and grabbed up the box, before he hurried to the bed and dropped down onto it at Carolina’s side, entirely too eager. Carolina eyed him and nodded toward the headboard. Washington dropped into place there, with Locus at his side. They were close enough that their legs could touch, close enough that Locus could feel the warmth of Washington’s skin against his without them even needing to touch each other.

“Keep each other busy.” Carolina ordered as she pulled the lid off of the box and began to hunt around inside for something.

Locus let his gaze linger on Carolina for just a second too long before he turned toward Washington, who laid back comfortably with a slight smile on his face. His hazel eyes were blown out, dark with want, and he looked like he was eager to either get out of his clothes, or to get what they were meant to be doing going.

Whatever that was.

“You’re dressed.” Locus grumbled as he pressed himself in close to Washington for the first time in the evening. “Why?”

“Haven’t been told to undress yet.” Wash joked, even as he cupped Locus’ jaw and pulled him in for a long, slow kiss. He pulled Locus along, until Locus was leaning over top of him. Wash’s hands roamed over Locus’ back, sliding downward consistently until they played at the edge of Locus’ underwear. “Not that I mind.”

Locus felt the press of something against his cock, only to recognize a moment too late that it was Washington’s thigh. A quiet breath escaped him, and Locus’ eyes slid shut in bliss as Washington moved his leg, blessed friction.

“You shouldn’t do that.” Locus grunted as he rocked his hips slowly and allowed his hands to slide under Washington’s shirt. His skin was hot. If only he could get the damn thing off of Washington.

“No.” Carolina’s voice broke into the moment, and it nearly knocked Locus out of it entirely. “You shouldn’t. Sam, here.”

Locus gave Washington one last good look before he pulled away from him and sat up so that he was close to Carolina.

She eyed him warily for a moment. “Color?”

“Still green.” Locus said, even when his voice came out rougher than he would have liked.

“What are you willing to do?”

It was yet another question that got asked every time that they encountered each other in this way. Every time they met, the rules would be rewritten. Most nights, Locus would have a proper answer for Carolina, something that actually could be useful for her to figure out limits.

Most nights, Locus wasn’t there with an acute knowledge that he didn’t have much longer in his life to live.

Most nights, it would actually end up mattering.

“Anything.”

Carolina’s red lips split into a sly smile. “Anything?” Her hands made their way to Locus’ chest, fingers sliding downward over his skin. One of her thumbs brushed against his nipple, and Locus sucked in a breath at the contact. “You’re sure about that?”

“Yes.”

She nodded and then glanced over his shoulder to catch Washington’s gaze. “Wash?”

“I’m good for…” Wash wriggled on the bed behind him, if the way that the mattress moved and groaned with the motion was any indicator. “Yeah, this sounds good.”

He was missing something. There was something that the two of them knew that he didn’t and Locus didn’t know how to feel about it. If there was a proper way to think about it, he didn’t know. He didn’t know that he’d ever know, but there was that distinct feeling that he was out of the loop about something.

Carolina grinned down at him. “You’re going to take Wash’s cock.” She instructed. “Am I understood?”

Locus felt his breath catch in his throat. He couldn’t remember the last time that he’d gotten fucked. It would have been before the war, if he had to guess. Felix. Best not to think about it and risk ruining the night for all three of them. He didn’t want to spend his last day being too sad, not if he had a chance to avoid it. He didn’t want to be angry either.

“Understood.”

“Good.” Carolina removed something from the box. “And you’re also going to be in me. Am I understood?”

Locus felt his underwear get tighter at the thought, heat pooled down in his stomach, skin almost too tight. “Understood.”

“Good.” Carolina looked over his shoulder at Wash. “Get him ready.” Without another word she pressed whatever it was that she’d gotten out of the box into Wash’s hand. Wash didn’t take any time hesitating, but then she raised her right hand in the universal signal that meant stop.

Wash stilled.

Carolina stared at him. “Why the hell are you still dressed?”

Locus gave himself the little room that he needed to turn himself so that he could get a good look at Washington. The blond’s face had gotten red and flushed, but he still wore the same eager smile that he'd had for almost the entire evening at that point.

Washington shrugged, almost playfully. Like he was asking for some sort of punishment to get leveled on him. Like he wanted to be Carolina’s toy that evening. “You hadn’t said to undress yet.”  
  
Carolina gave Wash a little glare, but Locus had gotten used to seeing her glares. He knew them well enough to know when she was being playful versus when she was serious. “Get the fuck out of your clothes, Wash.”

“Yes ma’am.” Wash answered her as he pulled his shirt off in one easy motion. It dropped gracelessly on the blue rug on the floor, a crumpled mess. “Just wanted the order first.”

“I thought you were smart enough that you didn’t need that order, Wash.” Carolina muttered back to him, her hand coming up to cup the back of his neck. “Now get undressed.”

Wash’s hands slid down to his waist so that he could shuck off the pair of sweats that he’d been in the entire time since Locus had arrived. Carolina went back to rifling around in the box, her skin warm against Locus’ as she made herself comfortable. Locus on the other hand, allowed himself the chance to watch as Wash stripped himself down.

He had a bruise on his back that Locus hadn’t seen before, so he could only assume that it had been picked up while he and Carolina had been training. He hoped it had only come from training.

“Sam.” Carolina nudged him and drew all of his attention onto her immediately. This time, she pressed something into his hand. When Locus ran a thumb over it, he recognized it without having to look down. A plug. Presumably meant as Washington’s punishment.

Locus looked her in the eye. “You’re sure?”

“Did I ask?” Carolina responded, a laugh in her voice.

Locus’ face heated. “No.”

“Good.” Carolina gave his cheek a playful slap. “Go.”

Locus pulled away from her and got off of the bed entirely to get a hold of Washington. He caught the blond by the arm and pulled him in close, close enough that he could wrap an arm around him and trap Washington against his own body. It was one of the benefits that came with usually being the biggest person in the room.

“Hey there big guy.” Wash greeted him, apparently uninterested in trying to squirm away from him or do anything else for that matter. “Miss me already?”

“Yes.” Locus replied, looking down at Washington and feeling surprisingly confident. “You have something I need.”

Wash raised an eyebrow and gave him a look as he tried to figure it out. Locus rolled his eyes and held up the plug as evidence that there was indeed something missing.

Wash froze up, his eyes dilating and darkening further as his face flushed a deeper red. “Oh.” He finally managed after a too long moment. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“So?”

Wash looked back over his shoulder at his abandoned clothes. “I think I left it in my pocket.”

“For fuck’s sake Wash!” Carolina called from the bed, apparently impatient enough that she was about to ignore the both of them entirely and get a toy for herself to use instead. Locus hoped that such measures wouldn’t become necessary.

Locus rolled his eyes and let his grip on Washington’s arm tighten just slightly, but not by enough to actually harm him. He leaned in close to Washington’s face and he all but growled at him. “Get. It.”

And as he stared down into Washington’s face, he watched the man’s eyes darken as his pupils dilated further to the point where the hazel of his irises was nearly gone. Wash nodded and Locus released him, only for Wash to hurry off to the little pile his pants had made. It gave Locus a second to step back and evaluate, and when he heard Carolina let out a quiet huffed breath, Locus had to physically stop himself from looking back.

He had a task at hand, and he needed to try and focus.

Wash approached Locus and offered the bottle of lube.

Locus hesitated for a second but took it. Wash shot him a smile and climbed up onto the bed where he dropped down onto it alongside Carolina.

“Took you long enough.” Carolina grumbled as she nudged Wash with her foot. Locus approached and looked down at the two of them, and all at once he felt his breath catch in his throat as he remembered that this would be the last time he would ever be able to see such a sight.

It was the last time that the two of them would be able to share a night with him.

His hands began to shake.

Carolina stared up at him. “Sam?”

“It’s nothing.” He managed, barely above a whisper.

Wash rearranged himself on the bed and stared up at Locus now, the same look of near concern on his face that was on Carolina’s. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.” Locus lied as he moved forward. “Now—” His hand landed on Washington’s thigh. “Turn.”

But Carolina’s stare darkened. “Color, Sam. Now.”

“Green.” Locus echoed. It was true. He’d just been bowled over by the realization that he’d just had. That was all. He was okay.

Carolina looked between the two of them, apparently satisfied with his response. “Take your time with him, Sam.” She offered, her voice surprisingly quiet as she stared Wash down. She’d figured out that there was something wrong, Locus had no doubts about it. But she continued on, playing the fool for their sakes. “Really make him think about what he’s done to get here.”

He met her eyes. There was one question that he wanted to go ahead and ask, but he couldn’t quite find it in himself to voice. So instead Locus looked down at Wash and reached out to splay a hand appreciatively across his back.

“Open him up.” Carolina commanded, voice easy and steady. Only after she said so did Locus let himself trail his hands lower, lower, lower until he had one hand on Washington’s ass and the other uncapping the bottle of lube. The plug sat on the bedspread underneath him, temporarily abandoned for the moment. “And I want to hear him, Sam.”

Locus paused and glanced up at her. Carolina had turned herself so that she could stroke her fingers through Wash’s hair as Locus worked his first finger into Washington. It was a motion that had become so mechanical at that point that Locus didn’t pay much attention to it. He didn’t have to.

It was through those mechanical, repetitive motions which managed to be nearly meditative that Locus wrung the first whimper out of Washington.

“Good.” Carolina whispered, her fingers having stilled on the nape of Washington’s neck. “More, Sam.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Locus replied to her as he reached down to cup Washington’s balls with his free hand for the moment. He cupped them for only a second before he gave the gentlest squeeze he could manage before he reached for the plug. Just enough to please, never to hurt. He never wanted to hurt anyone ever again.

It wouldn’t be a problem for much longer though, he supposed.

When he turned it over in his hand, Locus realized that it was a toy that he’d never seen firsthand before. It was either new, or something that Carolina and Washington used but had never bothered to take out for use with other people around in the past. At least, not around him. He assumed there were others.

Carolina smiled. “Do you like it?” She asked, her voice low. “It’s new.”

“I can see that.” Locus said as he removed his fingers from Washington which got a little whine of frustration from him.

“Vibrates.” Carolina added. “I picked it out just for him. Not that I’d mind getting to use it on you.”

Again, there was that horrible clenching in his gut that reminded him of what was happening. It was the last time. There would be no other chance. He needed to make the encounter count, but he couldn’t make promises for the future either.

He needed to tell Carolina and Washington at some point, but he didn’t know how he could. He didn’t know how anyone could ever do such a thing. He would only end up making them worry but—

Locus stared down at the plug.

They couldn’t know.

“I’d have to consider it.” Locus finally answered Carolina, since the phrasing was vague enough that it didn’t feel like it would be a serious betrayal when it inevitably never came to pass. “If that’s alright.”

“You know it is, Sam.” There was the shifting of someone on the bed behind him, and then Locus felt one of Carolina’s hands land on his shoulder, only to slide down to his bicep a moment later. “Now are you going to do what I asked? Or do I have to ask again?”

“Yes.” Locus said as he pressed the plug into Wash. No need to ask twice.

His immediate reward was a high pitched whine out of the blond. Locus couldn’t help the slight smile that crossed his face— as far as distractions went, Carolina and Washington weren’t bad ones. Far better than anything else he could have come up with, he was sure.

Locus knew that even if he ended up not staying for too long on the planet, the distraction that the two of them would present would end up being able to take up a good portion of his time. It was time that he wouldn't be spending running off to Chorus, or trying to run one last mission so that he would only just end up dropping dead on the job.

And besides, it would mean that one of the last things that he would see would end up being something that he wouldn't mind forgetting. He kept on coming back to Iris for a reason, at the end of the day.

It was the only place in the galaxy where he still felt welcome. Carolina and Washington, The Reds, and The Blues all made sure of it. In their own ways.

Washington's face was flushed, a blush high on his cheeks as he panted. Locus stared down at him and pressed the heel of his palm against the plug once it was seated properly to make sure that Washington could feel it. Wash let out another noise, this one just as wonderful as the first one had been.

"Good." Carolina sighed, a little too pleased. When Locus glanced back at her over his shoulder, she had two fingers in her cunt, gently rubbing her thumb against her clit. Getting ready for him, since she was the one that wanted to take him.

And Locus swallowed, because the possibilities that the sight of Carolina like that presented were all too good.

He smoothed his hand down Washington's spine one last time. "He's ready." He announced to Carolina. She smiled at him.

"Turn it on, then come here, Sam. Wash, stay."

So Locus followed the instruction and slid the little switch on the plug to the side, and it came to life under his thumb. Done, Locus pulled away from him.

Washington whined and sat back on his heels, cock bobbing between his legs. It was a familiar game that Carolina would play with him. She'd push him along until he couldn't stand waiting any more and then and only then would she let Washington find any sort of satisfaction. If it happened too early, it turned into punishments.

For some time, Washington would have to wait.

Locus pushed himself up on the bed so that he could settle onto the bed alongside Carolina. She reached out and caught him by the hair, since it was already down and had fallen over his shoulders She cupped his cheek with one hand and Locus couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty that he hadn't taken the time to shave before he'd gone to Iris. He knew that he could have done it on the ship, but Locus had never liked shaving in a moving vehicle. Even in space where it was mostly safe to do so in a moving ship. He’d heard too many horror stories about shaving in motion, and had seen more than enough— though most of those had been a side effect of Felix having his fun with hostages rather than genuine accidents caused by turbulence.

"Down." Carolina ordered him.

Locus nodded and laid out on his stomach. Carolina's hand landed on his spine, her fingers curled just enough that she was able to scratch down his back. He shivered slightly, and Carolina did it again, apparently satisfied with his reaction.

She leaned back. "You know, Sam--" She started. "It's really been so long since you last came by to visit me and Wash. The two of us have had so much time to think about what we want to do with you. I really hope that you know what you're getting yourself into." Her hand stilled, and she squeezed his shoulder. Yet another question that could go unspoken.

"Green." Locus responded to her, picking his head up slightly to ensure that he wasn't speaking directly into a mattress.

"Good." Carolina turned almost lazily to look down at Washington. In a way, Locus thought that it was the most relaxed that he'd ever seen her. "I'm just thinking about what to do with you. I know what our endgame is, but I need to figure out the in betweens. Good?"

"Understood." Locus sighed.

“Good.” Carolina replied, her grip tightening slowly on his hair. “Tell me what you want—”

“I already told you—” She tugged, hard enough that it bordered on being unpleasant. Locus groaned and did his best not to pull away or lean into Carolina’s touch too much.

She leaned down over him, looming over him with a sly grin across her face which proudly proclaimed that she won, despite the fact that they weren’t in battle or doing anything of the sort. She tugged his hair once more. “Sam.” Carolina uttered his name with a certain sort of harshness to her tone. “Tell me.”

“I want—” Locus began but stopped himself, tripping over his words as they tried to exit his mouth. An old habit that he’d never quite been able to break. Awkwardness that he’d never been able to grow out of, even from when he was a child still tripping over the English language. “I want for you to—”

“To what?” She stroked his hair, surprisingly gentle.

“Use me.” Locus finally managed to finish, though it came out a little too hushed.

“Good.” Carolina whispered back to him, stroking her hand through his hair all the same. Carolina leaned back and glanced down the bed to get a look at Washington— Locus could only assume that it was to check in and make sure that he wasn’t somehow dying.

With a quick nod, Washington was beckoned forward. He knelt on the bed beside Locus’ shoulder, obedient and quiet with the bottle of lube hidden carefully away in his palm so that he could use it as soon as Carolina gave the order. He rested stiffly, the vibrator’s buzz barely audible.

“Sam.” Carolina ordered. “I want you to beg Wash to give you his cock. Am I understood?”

“Yes.” Locus said, his face heating up a little too much for his liking. Two fingers tapped at his hip, yet another familiar command. Unlike the others, it was one that Locus was more used to seeing Washington obey than it was one that he was used to having used on himself. Despite all of that, the message was the same.

Hips up.

Locus arched his back and lifted his hips, raising his ass in the air so that Washington could get him ready for what was to come. To his surprise, a pillow was slid into the space between him and the bed, a luxury which Locus was far from used to being able to be on the receiving end of in an encounter.

When he turned his head to look up at someone at his side, Locus was met with Washington’s gentle grin. “About ready, Sam?”

“Yes.” He responded. “I am.”

“Color?” Carolina prompted.

“Green.”

“Good.” She nodded toward Wash. “Go.”

Washington nodded along and edged in against Locus, his knee knocking gently against Locus’ ribs. “Hey.” He greeted him as he uncapped the little tube of lube.

“Quit stalling, Wash.” Carolina ordered.

Wash let out a little laugh and began to slick his fingers. “This isn’t the best position for this, you know—” He said, allowing one of his hands to rest on Locus’ flank. “If you’re planning on having him too.”

“I am.” Carolina grumbled. “And I am willing to improvise as much as we have to. Just get him ready.”

“Got it.”

The only warning that Locus got before Washington pressed his first finger into him was another tap on the hip, delivered courtesy of Washington’s left thumb.

But the stretch was distantly familiar, bordering between pain and pleasant at the same time. It made Locus take in a deep breath to try and hold himself still so that he wouldn’t end up accidentally hurting himself. Of course, with the little time that he had left to his life it wouldn’t matter so much, but it was still a discomfort he preferred to avoid if at all possible.

And he knew from experience that it was easily avoided.

So Locus laid there, perfectly still like Carolina liked to see from him as Washington’s fingers moved in and out of his ass. He paced his breathing and kept himself steady, and when Washington’s fingers brushed against something inside of him, Locus couldn’t help the strangled noise that escaped him.

It felt good enough that he couldn't even stop the slight tensing of his hands as Washington prepared him, and when Washington's fingers slipped away from him, Locus couldn't help but feel woefully empty. The feeling wasn't allowed to stay for long though, since Carolina dipped down and pulled him up by the jaw gently to press biting kisses against his lips.

She released him just as quick though.

"Wash." She barked the order. "Get off of the bed, and give us some room, would you?"

And obediently and in a practiced manner, Wash cleared off of the bed to give the two of them some space. Carolina tapped Locus' hip. "Turn over, Sam."

He eyed her for a second, but he did just as he told, a certain sort of excitement thrumming under his skin at the knowledge of what was going to be coming in a matter of moments. Soon, he would have Washington inside of him properly. Soon, Carolina would be able to use the two of them exactly to her liking. Locus had no doubts that it would be a spirited session, if absolutely nothing else.

So he laid down on his back, and lifted his hips when commanded once more so that Carolina could slide the pillow back down under his ass so that he could have some support for what was to come.

Carolina stepped back from him then, leaving Locus woefully alone on the bed. She eyed him in consideration. She turned her head toward Wash. "Do you think that there's anything else we can do for Sam?" She asked Washington. "Because I get the feeling that we could do more for him."

"There are handcuffs in the box?" Wash asked, with a slight shrug. He shifted from side to side, his cock bobbing between his legs as it leaked precum. Carolina wrapped an arm around Washington and stroked one hand up and down his ribs. Wash pressed into her touch, still in Locus' line of sight as his head tilted forward in pleasure.

She nodded though, giving Wash a quick swat on the ass. "Get them." She ordered, and within seconds Washington was heading back to the dresser. It wasn't every day that the three of them decided to break out the handcuffs for anything.

A special occasion then, Locus thought. More special than either Carolina or Washington were capable of realizing. Unfortunate.

He dropped his head back to the bed and took in a deep breath, since he could feel himself getting a little bit too tense with every second that passed him by. It was only a matter of time, he reminded himself. He wouldn't be allowed to lie abandoned for much longer, even if it had been less than a minute.

Washington joined him in bed with the handcuffs and decided to make himself comfortable by straddling Locus. He pressed the two of them together so that their cocks could brush up against each other. Locus couldn't help the little noise that escaped him, or the way that he rocked his hips along with Washington to get some blessed, much-needed friction.

He was beginning to leak.

It didn't matter so much. All that mattered was that he felt good, even as Washington tugged his hands up over his head and began to fasten them into place using the bars in the headboard which had been broken and replaced only two or three times already in the same sort of activities as they were then participating in.

Locus would have to remember his strength, he thought. Washington dipped down and pressed his lips to Locus' in a needy, almost desperate kiss. He licked his way into Sam's mouth, to lap at his palette in a way which was nearly far too intimate.

It was a blessedly short thing, because mere seconds later Washington was pulling away and rocking their hips together one last time before he was slipping down into the space between Locus' legs. He set one hand on Locus' knee, just enough to help keep Sam stable and steady. Washington looked up to meet Carolina's gaze.

She nodded, face flushed and vibrant green eyes dilated.

"Ready?" Washington asked, his voice quiet enough that if it weren't for the third person in the room, it would end up being incredibly private. "Color?"

"Green." Locus sighed, an echo of every time he’d answered earlier in the evening. Nothing had changed.

That was all that Washington needed. He pushed in, and Locus felt himself tense against the handcuffs, pulling against them just slightly and moaning quietly as Washington made himself at home. Locus took in a deep breath and looked over to see that Carolina was approaching slowly.

"Don't move." She ordered both of them. "Not until I say so."

"But--" Washington began to protest, only to get a quick swat on the ass instead, one which didn't sound particularly gentle based on the noise that came when the hit landed. Wash groaned and dropped his head, just low enough that the tips of his hair was brushing against Locus' stomach. "Carolina--"

"Wait." Carolina said, sliding a hand up Washington's ribs. "You know what we're trying to do here. I don't want either of you spoiling it until we can really get going."

Wash swallowed. "Right." He managed, his voice too rough and hoarse.

"Good." Carolina's hand slid down Washington's ribs, down to the curve of Locus' ass. "You're still in this, Sam?"

"Yes." He gasped. "I am."

“Good.” And with that single word, Carolina slung her leg over his chest and straddled him the same way that Washington had mere moments before. It made Locus pull slightly against the cuffs that bound him down to the bed. How he just wanted to be able to touch her or Washington— both of them. The metal chain clanged against the wooden bars that were just over his head.

Carolina stared down at him. “You look good.” She told him evenly. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Locus swallowed. “A little.” And it was true. He hadn’t had a good reason to stop on Iris for some time, since he’d gotten so busy with everything else that he did around the galaxy.

Carolina pressed for nothing more. She reached back to find his cock, hard and aching and leaking precum. She smiled down at him as she stroked him, slowly enough to show that her only intention was to tease him.

His breath hitched as she ran a thumb over the slit.

“You’re ready for me.” Her hair fell down over her shoulders and into her face a bit when she looked down at him. Her skin was flushed, even the peppered spots of freckles on her shoulders. Most importantly, what she said was anything but a question.

She slid down onto him, tantalizingly slow. Slow enough that Locus couldn’t help the slight buck of his hips, or the gasp that escaped him. Slow enough that his eyes slipped close for just a second, and he tensed in his cuffs once more even though he had absolutely no intention of trying to run or escape.

But still, he didn’t dare move. When he found his breath again, it came too heavy, too fast, too obvious what she and Washington were doing to him.

Carolina was the one to set the pace, which ended up being more relaxed than desperate. She eased herself into Washington's back as she lifted herself on powerful legs. Washington didn’t dare move until Carolina sighed out his name.

With the permission that he'd needed gained, Washington began to move as well. His thrusts hard and sharp, almost desperate. Clear contrast to Carolina’s easy pace. Together, the two of them managed to create a rhythm that pushed quiet sounds out of Locus with every motion, little gasps and catches of breath from Carolina, and groans and far more desperate sounds due to Washington’s efforts.

Carolina set herself to a faster pace, and Washington followed soon after, always moving in tandem the two of them. Carolina up on Locus, while Washington pushed in, a pattern that could have reminded Locus of a piston if he were in any other place.

Washington let out a high pitched whine, the sort of sound that Locus would have a hard enough time ever forgetting that he didn’t know how he could ever miss it. The thought of what was to come threatened to creep its way to the forefront of Locus’ mind, but a couple of particularly spirited thrusts from Washington forced it back and out of the way to where Locus couldn’t even begin to consider it.

His back arched into the thrusts, and Locus twitched his hips in what little ways he could in order to get some more blessed friction. It was a little too much.

The moan that threatened to escape its way out of Locus’ mouth didn’t get there, instead it got muffled by the furious press of Carolina’s lips to his, almost as though she were somehow managing to communicate what Wash wanted to do instead.

It wasn’t a kiss as much as it was a desperate slide of mouths together, his and Carolina’s teeth clacking together in all the right ways as she kept on moving on top of him, faster, faster, faster—

Washington came first with a high pitched whine. His head dropped forward, tips of his sweat slick blond hair brushed up against Carolina’s cinnamon freckled shoulder. Washington kissed at her shoulder, every press of his lips reverent even as he pulled out of Locus slowly.

Locus couldn’t help but let out a little sigh at the feeling, and the feeling of Washington’s come dripping its way out of him— still warm, too intimate, too much was overwhelming when Carolina was still moving on top of him.

Locus pulled at his bonds and bared his neck, trying to push himself up more and more toward Carolina so that their bodies could meet in more than just the one place where they did.

Carolina’s hands dropped down to his chest, hands balled into near-fists as she continued to move, on and on and on.

Washington dropped down into the space at Locus’ side, and pressed himself in for a less hungry kiss than had been given earlier.

“Hey—” Wash whispered to him. “Little longer.”

If Locus could have actually thought of a response, he wasn't sure that it would have come out as being intelligent or anything else for that matter. All he managed was a high pitched whine, one which was nothing other than completely unbecoming.

Carolina stretched herself and lowered herself down onto Locus, enough that they were skin to skin. He arched slightly into the contact, only able to wish that there was more for him to relish in. If only he could just reach out for her. If only he could just hold her to him and never let go. Her and Washington both.

Her legs tightened at his hips and Carolina tilted her head forward to let the tips of her hair brush against Locus shoulder.

"Sam--" She gasped. "Now--"

He leaned up as much as he could to fore the tow of them together more and more.

Her hand slipped up into his hair to clasp at his locks, to pull him in close. It left a pleasant ache in its wake, as Locus felt Carolina clench around him, velvety soft and breathtakingly tight. She moaned down into the skin of his shoulder, and Locus sobbed from need.

Carolina pushed herself slightly upright. "Sam, now." She whispered to him. "It's okay."

He wanted to whisper back to her I don't want it to end, but he couldn't find the words.

Locus came with a quiet grunt, eyes squeezed shut as Carolina held him close.

He took in gasping breath after gasping breath, almost unaware of the way that Washington was leaning up to unfasten his wrists from the headboard. When his arms lowered back down toward his sides, there was a pleasant sort of ache at his shoulders.

Washington flopped down at his side, the plug inside of him apparently having been removed already. Locus looked at him, just doing his best to make himself breathe properly again. He was sure that it was only a matter of time before he fell asleep.

Only a matter of time before--

Carolina settled down at Locus' other side, using her right hand to smooth his hair away from his face. "Hey--" She whispered to him. "Feel good?"

"Mm." Locus hummed, content. "Yeah."

"Good." Carolina sighed, and when Locus glanced down he noticed that she'd tucked a towel between her legs. It made his heart beat differently for some reason.

Wash's head dropped onto Locus' chest. "We should shower." He mumbled.

And as much as Locus wanted to just lay there, as much as he knew it wouldn't matter, he knew Washington was right. It'd leave him feeling clean for the last hours of his life. A little bit less like the mess that he felt like he was.

"Soon." Carolina grumbled. "For now, can we just relax?"

"Uh--"

"Please," Locus mumbled for just the other two of them to be able to hear. "Just for a little while."

Washington's expression softened. "Okay." He said, settling in at Locus' side, resting his head on the pillow alongside Locus'. "Okay."

And for a little while, the three of them were able to just lay there.

For a little while the three of them were able to just relax.

For a little while, Locus was able to simply forget.


	2. Chapter 2

Locus awoke two hours later, sandwiched between Washington and Carolina, clean and relaxed. They were pleasantly warm at his sides, enough so that he didn’t want to have to move to get up or get away from either of them. It was one of the most comfortable feelings he’d ever had, as far as he could remember.

Comfortable enough that he almost felt at peace there.

If it weren’t for the other, more pressing matters at hand, of course.

“Hm.” Wash hummed at his side as he picked his head up. “Sam?”

“Washington.” Locus replied as he looked over at him, blinking. “What time is it?”

There was a quiet groan as Washington picked his head up to squint at the clock. “Been two hours.” Wash dropped his head back onto the pillow stretched out. “Why?”

He needed to check his datapad and find out how much time he had left. He didn’t want to end up leaving himself in Washington and Carolina’s bed when the time finally came that his life ticked down to nothing. He needed to tell them, he needed to make sure that he had his affairs in order.

The least that he could do was write down a will of sorts. Something that could at least fill in the gaps on what was happening, and what was meant to happen afterward.

A part of him wanted to take what he did have of himself and go back to Chorus. He could find wherever Felix had ended up, lay down there, and wait things out until he had no time left. He could go to the AI at the temples there and see if there was a way to reverse whatever process it was that was going to kill him all too soon.

“I… have something I’ll need to take care of.” Locus said finally.

Wash squinted at him. “Sam…” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Why are you lying?”

Locus felt his face heat up all too quickly.

“It’s just…” Wash’s voice trailed off. “It’s not like you to lie to us about things. And it’s not like you to come here if you’re on a time table. What's going on? Is someone chasing you?”

“No.” Locus sighed, and he was glad that it was the honest truth on the matter. “But there is something that I’m going to… need to do.”

“Tell me.”

Locus stared across at Washington. His hazel eyes stared back at him, too intense and clearly upset. “I don’t know how.”

“So try.”

Try.

If only it were as simple as just trying.

“I’m dying.”

“What?” The anger that had begun to writ itself across Washington’s face fell away at once, replaced only by pure surprise. Confusion.

“There was a temple.” Locus began to explain. “And I… translated something wrong. I was given twenty four hours to live as a result.” Every word, deathly serious.

Wash took in a breath. “You’re not kidding.”

“No.” Locus said. “I wish I was.”

Wash stared at him, apparently at a loss for wards. Locus couldn’t blame him for it. He would have thought that it sounded insane if he were the one being told such a thing as well. The blond looked from him to Carolina, who was still comfortably asleep in the blankets at Locus’ side.

“I shouldn’t have come.” Locus said, his voice too quiet. “But I didn’t know where else to go.”

“Yeah.” Wash sighed. “I get that.” At his sides, Locus watched as Washington’s hands balled into fists. “What’s your plan?”

“I don’t know.” Locus admitted. “I don’t think that it’s possible to plan for the situation I’m in. I’ve thought about going to Chorus but…”

“But?”

“I didn’t want to be alone. Or spend my time looking for…” Locus shook his head. A bad train of thought for him to get caught up on. “I’m sorry.”

Wash sighed. “You need to tell her.” He said. “While you’re here. If you want we can pass on a story that you were killed in action.”

Locus stared down at Carolina. “She’ll be angry.”  
  
“I’m angry.” Wash muttered. “I think anyone would be angry. Our friend is dying.”

Locus clenched his fists in the blankets. “I can go.” He offered, even if it hurt him to do so. He didn’t want to go and put himself in a place where he would be all alone when he genuinely didn’t want to have to be. “I have things that I need to take care of anyways.”

“Things you have to leave for?”

“No.”

“Then don’t go.” Wash said as he stretched himself across Locus so that he could nudge Carolina awake with his elbow. “You know we aren’t going to make you leave.”

I didn’t know that.

“Right.”

At his side, Carolina blinked herself awake and shot Wash a look. “What’s going on?”

“Wake up.” Wash said. “The three of us need to talk.”

Carolina’s brow furrowed immediately in irritation. “Is it important?”

“Yes.” Locus answered her, as matter of factly as he could. “It is.”

Carolina groaned, but she sat up and climbed out of the bed so that she could pull on something to wear. Apparently nudity had lost its appear for her that day already. “What is it?”

“Locus?” Wash asked.

Locus gripped the blankets even tighter, and then he began to explain. He explained all of it, the temple, the translation, what he thought it would do, how he didn’t have any way of confirming or debunking the things that he thought it would be. And then when he began to reach the end of his explanation, Locus reached out for his datapad and turned it on.

It displayed clearly that he had nineteen hours left to live.

All three of them stared at the numbers as they ticked by, and Locus found himself without anything else that he could say to make it any easier. Carolina stared at the timer as a minute passed by, apparently deep in thought on the matter.

“You’re certain?” Carolina asked. “That you’re dying?”

“Yes.” And it was true. So true that Locus felt eternally weighed down by all of it.

She nodded. “So what do you want to do?”

Locus stilled. “I don’t know.” He sighed. “I need to be sure that the key will make it back to Chorus. And that some other… things are seen to before it happens.”

Wash climbed out of the bed and walked over to the little desk in the corner. He pushed some things on top of it around for a moment in search of something before he returned to the bed with a notepad and a pen in his hand.

“Write it down.” He said. “And sign it. We can sign as witnesses if we have to.”

Locus stared at the notepad. Washington and Carolina were offering to go above and beyond what he needed them to do. It would have to be done in a way which would only end up incriminating them for being close to him. For having a good enough rapport with him that he would trust them with such a sensitive matter.

But, Locus knew, it was his best chance to be sure that his worries were seen to.

He reached for the pen.

“I need the key to get back to Chorus.” Locus said as he wrote down his more specific orders. “It’s not right that I have it in the first place.”

“What else?” Carolina asked.

He hesitated. “The official story.” He started. “What would it be?“

“Killed in action.” Wash spoke up. “Arrested would sound nice to Chorus, but they would need to be able to find evidence that was the case. And it’s better that it’s left with you being dead. It’d be easier to confirm, anyhow.”

“Right.” Locus breathed. “Is it too much to ask for a proper burial?” He didn't want to be simply left to rot the way that Felix or so many others in his life had been.

It was the first thing that he’d thought or asked which made it all feel as real as it was. Earlier Locus hadn’t allowed himself to consider such things as where he’d be buried— if he’d be buried. He didn’t even know that there was a good place where it could have happened, but he needed to have it in mind. He needed an idea, a plan, something that could give him a place.

“No.” Wash said. “I don’t think it is.”

“Where should it be?” Carolina asked.

“I don’t know.” Locus sighed. “Everywhere I think of feels… wrong, in one way or another.”

“Right.”

He looked between Carolina and Washington, entirely at a loss for what he should say to them. They were there, they were aware, and they were being surprisingly calm considering the stakes that Locus had just presented them with.

“Do you want us to make a decision for you?” Wash asked. “Because—”

“No.” Locus said. “I don’t… know that there will be a right answer.”

Wash frowned. “Cremate you then?”

“Maybe.” Locus sighed. “Once I would have wanted to be…” His voice trailed off, an uncomfortable tug at his heartstrings reminding him of what he had become. “It can’t be on Chorus.” A good enough change of topic as any.

Carolina leaned back. “There’s always space. Could just scatter them out there. Unless there’s a home we don’t know about.”

“Not anymore.” Locus grumbled, unsatisfied. “I’m sorry I came to you like… this.”

“I just wish you’d told us about what was happening earlier.” Wash said with a quiet sigh. “It would have changed some things.”

“Right.” Locus confirmed.

Carolina’s hand on his shoulder nearly made him jump, but he looked up at her all the same. She smiled down at him, still too calm for the situation that they found themselves in. “It’s going to be okay, Sam.” She whispered. “But you should decide what you want to do now that you have… time left. And where you want to be when it hits zero.”

“Here.”

“Okay.” Carolina confirmed. “Here.”

“With you.”

“Of course.” Washington said. “We aren’t going to make you leave.”

Locus stared at him. “I believe you.”

“Good.” Carolina said. “Now—” She squeezed his shoulder. “We should get something to eat at the least.”

And Locus couldn’t bring himself to disagree with her. 

* * *

 

Locus, Carolina, and Washington’s meal— Locus refused to acknowledge it as being his last meal, as likely as it was to be true— wasn’t anything particularly special. His only request had been that he wouldn’t be eating rations for his final meal. It was an old odd fear that he’d gotten back during the war, earned over too many late barracks talks with his brothers in arms. They’d always found room to worry about odd things.

Locus’ odd worry was that he would end up dead on a battlefield and the last thing that he would have in his body besides a bullet or perhaps some shrapnel would be barely palatable rations that he’d had to choke down that morning with the knowledge that it was his last meal for at least a day. .

It had been an indignity which Felix had hated the idea of as well. He’d wanted his last meal to be something grand. Steak cooked in butter and its own juices, velvety mashed potatoes, some sort of holiday casserole Locus’ had never enjoyed, and rich German chocolate Cake for dessert.

Felix’s last meal had been a packet of rations that were meant to pass as being some sort of chicken dish. Felix had spent the entire time complaining that Hargrove couldn’t even make sure that they were fed while they were fighting his war. Locus had simply eaten the rations without thinking anything of it.

It was a fate that Locus was thankfully being spared.

They ate a too-large bowl of spaghetti, and made sure to leave leftovers behind for any of the Reds or Blues to enjoy should they decide that they were interested in getting something to eat. Afterward, Locus, Carolina, and Washington headed out to A’rynasea to try and take care of some last minute issues.

The ship greeted them with a pulse of lights a quiet humming sound as it opened up its loading ramp. Locus set his hand on the strangely warm metal of the ship on his way in, and when he was inside in the cockpit, he didn’t know what to do.

The truth was that aside from weaponry and his armor, he had mostly stopped keeping personal affects years before. He’d never been able to get into the habit after the war, and during the war having them had ended up being too painful for his liking. All that he had to himself was a single plastic tote worth of clothing, and his bedding, but next to nothing else aside from it.

In the end, his largest thing which he owned (not that owned was the perfect word for it) was A’rynasea herself.

People would notice if the Reds and Blues somehow ended up with a high tech alien battleship at their disposal. They couldn’t even fit all of them onboard so Locus didn’t see how A’rnyasea could be of use to them— a part of his mind knew the Reds and Blues would somehow find a way to make it possible. Even still, she wasn’t something that he could hand over easily.

He didn’t have the time to teach anyone how to fly the ship either. Everything that he knew about the Reds and Blues told him that trusting to learn themselves wasn’t a good idea. Although he strongly suspected that Caboose would take a liking to the ship if the stories that he’d heard about the man proved true.

Carolina cast one look around. “Does the ship know that this is happening?”

“What?”

“The onboard AI.” She clarified. “Does it know?”

“Yes.” Locus sighed, keeping his hand pressed to the ship’s walls. “She does.”

Washington looked from him to Carolina and then straight back. “Does she have a—”

“A’rynasea, display timer.” Locus commanded without answering the question.

The timer appeared on the screen, showing clearly the seventeen hours, twelve minutes and forty two seconds that Locus had left. Forty two ticked down to forty one, and then forty, and so on. Locus couldn’t help himself but to watch it. He swallowed hard, a lump having appeared in his throat that he didn’t know how to handle.

Washington let out a gasp at the sight of the timer, and Locus felt his hand close around his own, tight and secure and desperate enough that it made it feel like Washington was hanging on because he was the one that was going to die. Locus didn’t offer condolences. He didn’t squeeze Washington’s hand in return.

Carolina watched the timer. “You’re certain?”

“Yes.”

“That's… not a lot of time. Especially not if you intend to sleep.”

Sleep.

The suggestion came so suddenly that Locus almost felt like he was about to get knocked over by it.

Locus felt his mouth go dry. He clung onto Washington’s hand, suddenly sure that he knew how he wanted to go.

He looked between the two of them. “I… think I want to be asleep when it happens.”

Saying it out loud felt entirely different from just thinking about the possibility. It was more real. More daunting. More terrifying. Even if Locus did want to die in his sleep — peaceful, painless — he didn’t know that he’d be able to sleep with his death hanging over his head like it was.

Wash nodded. “Do you want us with you when it happens?” He asked, too quietly. Like it was an offer. Locus couldn’t imagine offering the same. Not when he’d only ever be able to think about how there had been a corpse in his bed.

“I need to consider.” Locus said. There was a reason that they’d come on board.

He brushed past Washington and Carolina both and pressed his hand to the small panel that opened his tiny storage space. The walls inside were nearly entirely covered by the weapons that he’d chosen to hang there, neat and clean and prepared to be used if the need came. When the need came.

Not that it would come anymore.

On the floor there was a singular ammunition crate, and his tote of clothing. Locus ignored all of it in favor of removing one piece off of the wall.

The key had a pleasant, familiar weight in his hand. He’d gotten so used to wielding it that the things about the hilt which used to bother him— it’s shape wasn’t meant for a human to hold, and it was too clean, and it still had scrapes on it from its landing after Felix had flung it at him.

That had been the day that Locus had taken it for himself. It had haunted him ever since.

In the days since, Locus had spent a lot of time thinking about how the key had gone through two owners in quick succession before it landed with him.

It was going to be primed for another owner in a matter of hours.

It was his duty to be sure that it had the right owner.

“I don’t want either of you activating it.” Locus said as he held it out for the two of them. “The key belongs on Chorus.”

Carolina reached out to take it from him. “You’re sure that you don’t want to deliver it yourself?”

“There…” Locus sighed. “I don’t have the time for it. And if I went there, I would only be inclined to turn myself. Doing that only to die hours later would… be less than beneficial. It would raise too many questions.”

“It’s only a…” Washington started, to stop again. “You’re right.” He sighed. “Do you think that seeing a doctor could—”

“No.”

“No a doctor can’t help, or you won’t see a doctor?” Washington asked.

“She wouldn’t see me.” Locus responded. “And I doubt she'd be able to help me. It's possible, but…” He huffed out a breath. “I doubt it.” He felt almost too closed in there. Enough that he couldn’t shake the feeling. A’rynasea was his home, and he was used to being around the Freelancers.

The overlap into them being on A’rynasea while he needed to be able to think left him feeling crowded.

He swallowed and tried to find his words. “If she could save me, I would only be imprisoned.” He offered it as a final scrap to explain his reasoning away. “I don’t think I want to take that risk.”

“Got it.” Wash said, clapping a hand on Locus’ shoulder, in the same place where Felix would have once. It failed to bring any sort of reassurance, or even a feeling of being ripped and pulled back from whatever it was that he wanted to because the owner of the hand on his shoulder wanted it that way. Locus shrugged out from under Washington’s touch.

“A’rynasea should also go to Chorus.” He instructed. “I’m sure one of the temples will… take her. And only give her to whoever gets the sword next.”

Carolina blinked. “Should we just assume everything you own goes to Chorus?”

“Just the key and the ship.” Locus said. “Onboard rations go to Grif. Clothing, and weaponry go to the Reds and Blues. My armor…” He paused. “I’d like it to be stowed somewhere that nobody can ever use it again.”

Wash glanced around the ship. “Anything else?”

“There’s a box of personal affects under my bunk.” Locus said, shooting Washington a glance. “Burn them without looking at them.”

Carolina let out a little snort. “You say it like it’s something like porn in there.”

“It's not.” Locus said. “Mostly photographs and logbooks.”

Wash sighed. “You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Carolina said, after a moment of waiting. “We’ll do all of that.”

The ship went silent.

Locus looked between Washington and Carolina, and then to the timer that was still ticking away on A’rynasea’s main display.

He still had time left. He just had to decide how he wanted to use it.

Wash let out a heavy sigh. “You’re the only one that knows how to fly her, right?” He asked, giving Locus a quick look. “If you want the ship to go to Chorus—”

“You don’t have much of a choice in the matter.” Carolina piped up, offering the key back to Locus. “Might as well do this yourself and take us along for the ride. Moral support.”

Locus swallowed and took the key.

They were right.

Going to Chorus was the right thing to do. 

* * *

They landed on Chorus with 12 hours left in Locus’ limited remaining lifespan. On the trip over, the three of them had decided that at least five of those hours would be dedicated to sleeping, and one would likely be yet another dinner. The rest was ultimately up to Locus to decide what to do with.

The result was that he spent his time on the way to Chorus writing down plans and trying to figure out the most exact logistics that he could for when they landed. If he was going to have to die on Chorus, he wanted to be able to check off a few regrets in the process.

Mostly, he needed to make sure that his things that needed to be left there were left in the correct places.

The first stop was the Temple of Arms, where Locus stored the emptied out A’rynasea. It wasn’t where he’d gotten the ship, but it seemed fitting enough given the nature of A’rynasea’s technology and similar reason for being. Luckily for him, she fit there perfectly, and as Locus held his hand to the ship’s exterior for one last time, the metal warmed in a way that it always had when he’d ended up in need of some sort of comfort to get him through the day.

“Goodbye.” He whispered to what had been his ship, once he was sure that neither Carolina or Washington were listening to him. The metal pulsed warm under his hand, and vibrated. Acknowledgment. A goodbye. Locus let himself linger there by his ship a moment longer, but he had to pull away. It was convenient that the metal went cold under his touch because otherwise he didn’t know that he would have left.

Locus met with Washington and Carolina again by the temple’s entrance, and they walked out of the Temple of Arms together. Locus climbed into the driver's seat of the decommissioned Warthog that Washington and Carolina had borrowed for their time on Chorus, and began the more difficult part of the journey.

Getting to the Temple of Communication was a long drive, one which was filled mostly with inane chatter and the radio to keep them occupied. But the Temple was there, but not as Locus remembered it.

For one, there was a museum attached to the Temple, something which definitely hadn’t been there the last time that Locus had gone. Getting in and past the scant security was surprisingly easy, and then getting up to the Temple itself was even easier once they were past the one security gate which seemed to mostly be there as a warning more than anything else.

Locus didn’t need to check the maps that had been posted up, with their little red “You Are Here” markers. He knew where he was going, it was a place that he’d seen a thousand times in things which he could never figure out were dreams or nightmares. A place that still managed to haunt him even though he’d only gone there a total of three times in the course of his entire life.

The black stain that had once marked the spot where the grenades had blasted Felix off of the tower was gone. It had been replaced with a small marker which only stated that it was the spot where the mercenary Felix had been betrayed by Locus, and had been killed by the Reds and Blues. Embossed brass. Simple, elegant. Unable to be damaged and not too grim of a reminder as the stain had been.

He didn’t need to read what had been written there. He knew the story perfectly well.

Washington grasped his hand, knocking Locus out of the momentary reverie he’d fallen into.

“You okay?”

“No.” Locus admitted, making sure to keep his voice down and his head down so that people would be less likely to notice him. Carolina and Washington had both been somewhat surprised when Locus had mentioned that he’d wanted to see what had become of Felix’s final resting site.

They had tried to understand, but they couldn’t really understand. They didn’t know the full extent to everything that Locus had been through with Felix. They didn’t know what kind of life the two of them had had together before either of them had landed on Chorus. They hadn’t spent the better part of two decades with Felix, they didn’t know what kind of man he had been before.

At best, they might have suspected that Locus spent every day missing Felix in one way or another.

Carolina stood on his other side. “Do you want us to leave you alone?”

Locus hesitated a long moment to consider it. He had a flask in his pocket that he could indulge in if he felt the need. He almost wanted to, but he didn’t know that he wanted to spend his final hours drunk. He’d never liked being drunk to begin with, but to see Felix he felt like might have needed it. And raiding Grif’s liquor cabinet hadn’t been a raid as much as it had been Grif shoving bottles into his arms while rambling about which drinks could be mixed to make something that tasted good while also being able to knock out a small army.

“Yes.” He finally said, once he made up his mind. Carolina nodded, reached out for Wash, and dragged him off so that the two of them could go and get some funnel cake instead of stand around awkwardly.

Locus however, was glad for the quiet that it had just granted him.

He took a seat on one of the nearby benches and fished out the flask. He opened it up, leaned back, and considered the foul smelling liquid inside for a moment before he got back up and walked over to the edge where Felix had gone over. He poured out a sizable gulp worth of the whiskey off the tower, down toward his partner’s resting site below. Felix would have hated the drink since Locus was fairly certain it was bottom shelf, but somehow it felt appropriate.

Locus took the second drink.

Alongside the flask in his pocket there was a small, folded up note. He removed it easily with two fingers as he stashed the flask back away. Locus allowed himself to flip it open for just a second.

He’d written the note to Felix on the way over to Chorus, when he had a few minutes where neither Washington nor Carolina had been paying him any attention. It was just full of things that he’d never gotten to say that he should have, preferably before he’d lost his partner.

Looking down at his own handwriting made his heart feel heavy. He didn’t remember the last time that he’d actually written anything by hand before that day. Everything had always been done in digital logs, inside his helmet where nobody else could ever see or find them.

Suddenly, it felt dangerous to be there. In ways that it hadn’t before.

His own words stared up at him.

I’m sorry.

I wish that it hadn’t happened the way that it did either. I don’t like the things that you did, but I think that now I understand why you did them. I wish that you were still here to hear me say these things in person. I think you would like hearing me say I’m sorry. I think you’d like hearing me admit that I was wrong even more.

You were always there for me, and I miss you. I always miss you.

I’m dying, Isaac. I hope that if we see each other again, you won’t hate me.

Always yours,

Sam

He’d fought himself over every word. In the end, he was mostly sure that he’d come up with exactly the things that he'd needed to say. Mostly to the point. More personal than he would have liked, but it was what needed to be said.

Locus folded the note back closed, and tossed it over the edge of the Temple, down to wherever Felix rested below.

In a way, he almost felt at peace because of it.

He stood there at the edge for a few minutes longer. If he wanted to, he could have thrown himself off of it and gone down to meet his partner all in one go. But it would have caused a panic, a suicide at the Temple of Communication. It being his suicide would only make things worse by the end of it. He didn’t want to render the security gates doubly useless all in one go.

Besides, Locus reminded himself as he reached down into his pocket to thumb over the smooth metal of his key. He had things to do. Important things that he had to do in person.

So instead of jumping or following his partner, he turned away and left the Temple, to find Carolina and Washington there outside, sitting next to a small statue which was in the shape of a single Greek letter- Epsilon. A monument to their old friend. A gift on behalf of the people of Chorus to them.

He couldn’t help but feel like he was about to intrude.

Sometimes he forgot that he wasn’t the only one that lost a friend that day.

Wash noticed him first, and shot him a toothy grin as he held up a funnel cake. “Got you one.” He said.

Locus eyed the sweet did reach out and take it anyways. The fact that he had never liked funnel cake, not even back when he was a child didn’t matter. Washington had decided to get him something because it was the nice thing to do, and because they were all too aware of what was coming. It was, in a strange way, the least that he could do.

Carolina looked at him, sucking the powdered sugar off of her fingertips. “You did everything you needed to?”

“I did.” Locus said, picking at the edge of his own funnel cake. “We should go.”

“Right.” Wash sighed, but he stood up and brought his funnel cake with them. Carolina followed soon after, and within minutes the three of them were piled into the Warthog and beginning the drive to what would be their final destination before bed.

Before it all ended. 

* * *

Dinner came from a small restaurant that had barely managed to survive the war by some sort of miracle. It had somehow even survived without picking sides in the war, which was even more surprising. They didn’t serve anything particularly fancy, all simple burgers and fries which was much more than Locus could have really hoped for in a way. It was better than the freezer pizzas that Carolina, Washington, and himself had enjoyed on Iris.

They got their meals as take-out and brought them back to an old pirate base that had gone abandoned since Felix had blown their cover. It had been one of the few places where Locus could be sure that there wouldn’t be any prying eyes, or anyone that could notice that it was him.

Once Locus finished his meal, he began an almost meditative exercise as he turned the plastic bag that their meals had come in into a container for everything that was left of him. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to fit his armor, but it was already spoken for in a way. Locus set in the little weaponry that he'd brought with him on his final mission, his cloaking unit (which particularly pained him to let go of,) and then a datachip that he’d been using to compile every bit of information about the great key that he could find.

He’d gathered legends and historical documents, in human languages and alien alike. There was a video file of Tucker rambling about how he’d ended up with a Sangheili child. There were photographs and even some personal logs. Locus had tried to create the most complete history for the key of Chorus as possible.

Lastly, he set in a personal message to the person who would wield the sword after him, whoever that person may be. Locus didn’t want them to be in the dark about what their role would be as long as they held it. Their duties and responsibilities, which Temples should be used (agriculture, communication, arms, and rain) and avoided (procreation), the extremes they may need to go to should something to wrong. They would know as much as he could possibly give them.

He wanted them to know the legacy that came with Chorus’ great key, as troubled and horrible as it was. They would know Donald Doyle and his strengths, the same way that they would know Felix and his many flaws. They would know of the Purge, and why it was good that it wasn’t there anymore. They would know of the key’s role in ending Chorus’ civil war, as complicated as it was.

As for himself, Locus tried to leave as much of himself behind as he could manage. He could do what little he could to pass on the lessons that the key had given him. Along with a few techniques that would come in use when it came to using the weapon as a sword. He hoped they would never have to, but he knew better. One day it would have to happen.

The last thing that Locus allowed himself to set in the bag was the key itself. He wrapped it carefully in his shirt and set it down in the bag before he rolled the top closed. Carolina and Washington both already knew where he wanted the parcel to go.

It was a task which he knew he could trust them with, unconditionally.

The two of them sat in the other room as Locus laid down the package and finally prepared himself to go to bed in one of the ragged old bunks. The base had always been planned out to accommodate as many people as possible without causing fights. It was one of the few bases which himself and Felix had selected which hadn’t already been abandoned by one of the two armies at some point or another.

In the end, it had just been a supply cache with a skeleton guard to keep it safe. The extra beds were never needed beyond the two men that were actually stationed there. After their cover had been blown on Chorus, it had gone entirely abandoned.

What Locus entered the room to was a surprise.

Carolina and Washington had pushed the bunks to the sides of the room, as close to the wall as they possibly could. On the ground, all of the mattresses had been arranged into one large bed for the three of them to enjoy, and the blankets that had been stored had been tossed on top to make it feel a little bit more like home. They’d even managed to find pillows and (most oddly) scented candles among everything that had been there already.

Locus stared down at it. “All this?”

Wash was stretched out across three different mattresses lengthwise. “We figured it’d be better than sleeping separate.” He said. “And we didn’t want for you to… be alone. Unless you want us to go?”

Locus felt his stomach churn. “Stay.” He asked as he approached the beds and took a seat. “Please.”

“Got it.” Wash stretched out more and pat the space in the bed next to him. “We saved you the middle.”

He eyed the space, almost nervously. Normally he didn’t sleep in the middle when it was the three of them, on the few and far between incidences where he did actually stay long enough to sleep. If he couldn’t sleep, then the whole plan would go to waste and Locus really didn’t know how okay he was with that idea.

“Okay.” He said as he knelt down to climb into the bed. He laid down there and found that it was was surprisingly comfortable, all things taken into consideration. Definitely more comfortable than he’d been preparing for it to be. Wash nudged his way in so that he was directly at Locus’ side, skin against warm skin.

He propped his head up to look down at Locus. “You know it’s not too late to go to Armonia and see whether Grey can help.” Washington said, quietly. “She’s good at being a lifesaver.”

“I know.” Locus admitted. “But I think it’s better that we just…. That I just—”

“Sam.” Wash asked. His voice came out as barely above a whisper. “You don’t want this, right?”

“I don’t want it.” Locus said, and it was true. But it was also true that he didn’t want to bring Chorus more pain than he already had over the course of his life. “I never did. It was an accident.”

Wash nodded along and hesitated. “Do you feel… any different from how you were when you came?”

“No.” Locus said. “Physically, no. Mentally…” He blinked. “Ready, maybe. I got to… do some things that I’d been needing to do.”

Wash’s hand made it to Locus’ skin, almost hesitant in the way that he touched. He paled for a second, but Wash’s hand curled around Locus’ arm slowly, almost comfortingly. “You feel cold. You’re sure you feel okay?”

“I am.” Locus said. “All day I’ve felt… normal. No muscle pain, no weakness, no headaches, nothing.” And it was true. All that there had been was a brief spell of nausea upon entering Chorus’ atmosphere— something which happened every time Locus was in A’ryansea making a landing which required atmospheric entry. Nothing unusual.

If there was something wrong, he was sure that he would have noticed it. But he didn’t think that the slow death he was suffering was meant to be visible. It was likely meant to be a chance for a key bearer that knew they were dying for some other reason to turn the clock forward and give the bearer a chance to get their affairs in order. A mercy killing of sorts.

Locus simply made the mistake of triggering it when he wasn’t dying. Not to his knowledge, at least. He wasn’t dying any more than anyone that aged because of the passage of time would.

Washington blinked. “You’d tell us if there was something, right?”

“Yes.” Locus grabbed at the blanket and began to pull it up over himself. “I would.”

“Good.” Wash sighed, as he pulled his hand away from Locus’ arm so that he could slip under the old, musty blanket as well. He stretched out and made himself comfortable there next to him. “Carolina wanted to do a quick patrol then she'd be in.”

“Why?”

“To keep things quiet.” Wash answered. “We wanted it to be just the three of us tonight.”

“Right.” Locus stared into Wash’s face, and found himself mostly feeling at ease next to his former enemy. His friend. One of the two people in the universe he was choosing the spend his last day with.

He was so at ease, that he reached out to take Washington’s hand as the two of them laid there.

Minutes later Carolina came In and dropped down onto the mattresses on Locus’ other side. She looked down at the two of them and let out a sigh. “We have beer.” She said. “If you want some.”

“No.” Locus said. “I already drank more than I meant to today.”

Carolina chuckled and began to slip out of the pair of sneakers that she'd worn out that day. “If you insist. Figured we could get some just in case you need to sleep.”

And once, Locus would have had a joke in mind that he could have made, and yet in that moment it died in his throat because it was the absolute last thing that he wanted to do that night. He just wanted to spend his last night in the galaxy at peace.

“Thank you.” He mumbled to her instead as he watched her slip out of the athletic jacket in her signature aqua blue in one easy motion. Carolina set it down next to the bed and then climbed in at Locus’ side. She edged her way in as close next to him as she could.

“So.” Carolina asked as she propped her head up on one hand. “Long day?”

“Not particularly.” Locus said, and it was true. He hadn’t slept in close to 17 hours, but the circumstances alone had made sleeping at any other point anything but an option. He wanted to go in his sleep. That was something that he was absolutely sure of. He didn’t want to know what it would actually feel like.

She nodded along. “Tired?”

“No.” Locus admitted. “But—”

“Right.” She arranged herself under the blankets beside him and made herself as comfortable as she could get in that spot. Carolina turned to look back over at Locus over her shoulder. “Comfortable?”

“It’s not five star.” Locus joked. Felix would have complained much more about the matter. As far as bunker accommodations went, it was far from the worst that Locus had ever experienced. The blankets weren’t bad enough that they were unusable, and the mattresses were laid out in a way so that there was actually enough room that he was able to stretch out. “But it’s good.”

“Good.” Carolina whispered. “I wish that we weren’t in a place like this for… what's happening.”

“Me too.” Wash said. “You aren’t perfect, but you deserve better than a place like this.”

“It feels fitting.” Locus said. “That I’d die on Chorus.” He took a breath and let his eyes slip shut, even though he didn’t feel anywhere near at ease enough to be able to go to sleep just yet. “After everything I’ve done.”

At his side, Locus felt the slight shift of Carolina’s body as she nodded along in understanding. She laid herself out, stretched and comfortable in a way that she hadn’t been before. “It’s still not a great place. It's so… dark.”

“It’s a bunker.” Wash said. “They’re all dark.”

“It’s better this way.” Locus told the two of them. “Nobody else will ever know.”

“Until someone notices that things are in places where they weren’t before.” Carolina spoke up, quietly. “And someone is able to use your sword. That’ll just confirm that you’re dead.”

Locus sighed. “You think that I’m not aware of that?” He asked. “I used it to confirm the death of the one person that had consistently been a part of my life for close to two decades. I know what activating the sword will bring.”

Carolina bumped up against his leg with her own. “You really do just want the best for Chorus now, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Locus said. “And providing what guidance to whoever comes after me may be the best that I can ever do. I did too much to damage this place to ever fix it myself. But I can give my knowledge to whoever comes next.”

Washington nodded along at his side, turned so that he had his chest pressed up against Locus’ back. “I never thought I’d say this,” He whispered into Locus’ ear. “But I’m going to miss you, Sam.”

“Me too.” Carolina reached out to clutch at Locus’ hand. In response, Locus opened his eyes to look at her. Too-vibrant green stared back at him. “Thank you for choosing us.”

“Thank you for being here.” Locus replied. “I thought I’d be alone.”

“Not if we can help it.” Wash said, his voice too quiet. “It’s kind of a Reds and Blues thing. We don’t leave people behind.”

“Never.” Carolina said. “Even when they might deserve it. They gave us that, the least we can do is give that to you now.”

It tugged terribly at his heartstrings, enough that all Locus could think of to do was to arch his back into Washington’s chest and wrap his arms around Carolina. He could hold them close and treasure them and take whatever they had left to give to him.

The three of them laid there for some time, and eventually Locus fell into a dreamless sleep from which he would never wake. 


	3. After

In the morning, Carolina was the first to wake to a cold bed. Locus laid alongside her, not breathing, not moving. Still and cold and gone. When she checked the datapad that the three of them had used to track the time of Locus’ remaining life on, she learned that Locus had passed away two hours before, in his sleep if the way that he laid was any indication.

Calm. At peace. Painless.

Carolina climbed out of bed carefully and woke Wash up. They gave themselves a few minutes tog get themselves organized and then they set to work. Together, they wrapped Locus’ body in the blankets they’d found, carried him out to the Warthog, and drove him out to somewhere remote where they could get a Pelican to carry them back to Iris without setting off any alarms about what was happening.

Chorus didn’t know that it’s greatest monster had passed. They hoped that it would be some time before they figured it out.

But they gave Locus a burial, despite everything. Despite his many sins, he had asked for one, so they decided to give him one.

It was the right thing to do, after all.

They flew Locus back to Iris, and chose to bury him on the hill to the little valley where he’d always parked A’rynasea when he came to visit. Locus had always seemed to like the valley, how it was open and he could always see the bases from the top of the hill. He’d slept many nights there.

Despite everything, it felt right to put him somewhere that he could feel at home in.

They left him a grave marker. It wasn’t anything large or significant, rather just a flat stone upon which they had written a simple inscription:

_Sam_   
_Finally At Peace_

It wasn’t much, but it was enough. 


End file.
